Gone But Not Forgotten
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Something awful happened in Weiss' past. Blake and the others struggle to understand how they can help her through the tragedy that still haunts Weiss to this day. [Patron reward story!]
1. Forgotten Past

**This is a P-atreon reward for Bjorn Jeppsson! They asked for a very specific angsty Monochrome story, involving an OC they created for Weiss' childhood friend.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Gone But Not Forgotten

Chapter 1. Forgotten Past

It had been almost a year since Blake and Weiss had started dating.

They'd had their difficulties along the way to becoming teammates, and it certainly hadn't been easy with everything that had transpired involving the Schnees, the Faunus, and the White Fang. It hadn't been easy for them to understand these feelings, to struggle past the insecurities of all the mistakes they'd made, and in some cases, were still making.

But there was one thing they both eventually understood would never be a mistake.

It had been a very terrifying, very delicate process, to come clean to one another one quiet evening. As Ruby and Yang had slept the night away, Blake and Weiss had stayed up together and just talked. About their families, their histories, their mistakes...

Their feelings.

It hadn't been a conversation free of tears either. They'd both done a great deal of crying, for various reasons, but by the time dawn had broken they'd only been good tears.

Explaining things to Ruby and Yang had been a bit nerve-wracking, but naturally the sisters had been only excited and happy for them.

It had been nearly ten months since then, and Blake and Weiss have managed to keep things covert. Only some of their closest friends, including team JNPR knew about their relationship.

The tight-knit group of friends understood very well that the daughters of Belladonna and Schnee didn't want it to be known to all of Remnant that they were seeing one another romantically, not with tensions already so high as they were. They were content to celebrate Weiss and Blake quietly, privately. They could tell the rest of the world when they were ready.

But for now they were keeping to themselves, and enjoying every moment of it.

Of course they couldn't do much during classes or in front of other people.

But when they got sent out on missions for only team RWBY, there were always quick kisses shared between them amongst the forests. And when they retired in the evenings after classes and missions were over, they'd often choose one bed or the other to curl up in together.

Being together for nearly a year now had allowed them both to get to know each other very intimately. They could read each other even when there was nothing being said.

That's precisely how Blake began to notice a slight change in Weiss during recent weeks.

At first she didn't even fully recognize that there was anything amiss. But once it started becoming frequent, Blake took note long before Ruby or Yang did.

It wasn't anything particularly bad or upsetting.

It was just... little things.

Weiss was quieter a lot of the time recently, and when she did speak it was often drawled and distracted. Her studies never suffered of course, but Blake noticed that Weiss seemed to be absent mentally if not physically.

She was becoming quieter at nighttime as well. When they'd often whisper and giggle together while their partners slept, Weiss was now silent and seemed to be constantly tired.

Blake opted to pamper her with just a few minutes' worth of kisses before letting her sleep, but Weiss even seemed to be restless when she rested. Blake noticed how she'd constantly shift around and sigh, and in the mornings she'd be reclusive, as if she hadn't slept at all.

Blake was hoping it was something only temporary, but after it persisted for an entire week, she started to become concerned.

One morning while Weiss was in the shower, Blake quietly voiced her concerns to Ruby and Yang.

"Do you guys think she's been acting... a little strangely? Or am I just being paranoid?"

The sisters shared curious looks; clearly they'd been about to ask Blake the same question.

"You thought so too, huh?" Ruby mumbled. "Yeah, I mean... she's been sort of quiet lately."

"I'll say," Yang agreed. "When you spilled your cereal all over your bed the other day, all Weiss did was sigh. She didn't even scold you or yell at you to go wash your sheets. I think she's really out of it."

Blake bit her lip. "But why? Is there any reason you guys can think of that would make her act this way? Do you think she's getting sick?"

"Maybe something happened with her father?"

"Maybe she's been working too hard and she's exhausted?"

The three of them shared worried glances but all ultimately shrugged.

"I think there's only one way to find out, Blake," Yang said, placing a hand on her partner's shoulder. "You've just gotta ask her."

Blake nodded and started to think over how she might go about asking Weiss.

As they all got ready for bed, Blake decided she would invite Weiss to sleep with her tonight. The instant her girlfriend came out of the bathroom with her hair still ruffled and damp from the shower, Blake patted the space beside her on her bed.

"Why don't you sleep with me tonight? With your hair still wet you'll need to keep warm."

Weiss looked up rather tiredly but made no complaints at the notion. She walked over to Blake and sat down beside her as Blake got to moving the blankets so they could lie down.

They wished Ruby and Yang goodnight before turning off the lamp. Zwei jumped up onto Weiss' bed to have it all to himself.

Blake stretched herself out beneath the blankets and opened her arms to Weiss. It was reassuring that, even in spite of whatever was ailing the heiress, she smiled and willingly settled into Blake's embrace. Blake planted a kiss on her forehead, nuzzling her temple and bumping their noses together.

"Are you feeling all right? You seem tired recently."

Weiss kept her hands still, not reaching out for Blake or reciprocating the physical contact like she normally might.

"I'm fine. Tired, but fine."

Blake's ears perked.

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

With that Weiss turned away, giving Blake her back to spoon. Blake was a little conflicted about the position only because Weiss seemed to be deliberately concealing her face.

But nonetheless she slipped her arms around her girlfriend's waist and hugged herself to Weiss' back, pressing closely to share her body heat against the chill of Weiss' slightly-damp hair. She let out a slow rumbling purr that rolled across Weiss' back and eased her breathing. Blake kissed the girl's cheek as best she could and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight."

She felt Weiss let out a long, quiet sigh.

"Goodnight."

Blake kept her eyes open for a while. She wanted to make sure Weiss fell asleep and got a proper rest tonight. She circled her fingers in small, soothing motions across her girlfriend's stomach and along her sides.

In the end, she was glad she managed to stay awake for as long as she did. Because she noticed Weiss start to twitch in her sleep.

At first it was just a little bit, but then it became more frequent. When Blake was still, she could discern Weiss' breathing had changed from the slower, deeper breaths of slumber to shallower, disrupted breaths. She slipped her hand up to Weiss' collar and pressed her palm over her heart to find Weiss' pulse thick and frantic.

Blake was no stranger to nightmares, especially not Weiss'. She didn't waste any time in pushing herself up onto her elbows and leaning over the sleeping heiress, gently turning her over onto her back.

"Weiss?"

Blake dipped down to kiss her lips, then her brow which was creased with tightness.

Thankfully that was all it took to rouse her. Weiss' eyes opened quickly just as her chest began to heave with a gasp. Blake rested a hand on her collar for comfort.

"It's okay. You were having a nightmare. You're okay, Weiss."

As reality came back to the heiress and Blake's words registered in her mind, she closed her eyes again, taking in a few deep breaths to get her bearings. When she was ready she reopened her eyes and presented Blake with a weak smile.

"Thank you."

"No need. Are you okay? Do you want some water?"

"I'm fine."

Blake's ears twitched and drooped at the sight of Weiss, disheveled and exhausted but still trying to act fine. Blake bent down to kiss her scarred cheek.

"Come here..."

She collected Weiss into her arms and turned her back over to face her. This time, Weiss willingly wrapped her arms around the Faunus girl, securing her grip firmly as she buried her face into Blake's shoulder.

Blake conjured up another purr to soothe her, letting the vibrations dance through Weiss' chest and ease her discomfort. She pet up and down her back, through her hair that was dry now, silently letting Weiss know Blake was here for her, that Weiss was safe.

Blake watched over her for several moments, but before she could ask Weiss again if she was all right, she discovered the heiress had fallen back asleep.

Blake kissed her temple and rested her chin atop the girl's head, tucking Weiss into her and pulling up the blankets.

She wasn't sure what was causing this, but she hoped it wouldn't last.

* * *

To Blake's dismay, Weiss didn't seem much better the following day either. She was still very distracted and even a little forgetful, which she never was. She lost her focus during classes and neglected her chores for a while before remembering they existed.

It was concerning enough to her teammates to collaborate.

They decided to throw a very small party of sorts tonight, being it was a Friday. Nothing extravagant, but just something to help Weiss relax and take her mind off of things.

They invited only team JNPR who were eager to attend, and after classes Ruby and Yang went to Vale to get some snacks and supplies. Blake told Weiss the party was for all of them, not wanting to single Weiss out and let her realize they'd all been fretting about her.

"Ruby Yang and I just thought it would be nice to hang out with those guys a bit. We can have a bit of fun tonight. Is that okay for you?"

Although the party idea was in good faith, Blake didn't want to push Weiss out of her comfort zone too much right now. Should the heiress want to call things off Blake would support her decision.

But Weiss nodded in affirmation and put on a smile.

"Yes, you're right. We should try to relax tonight. Take our minds off of things."

Blake didn't get the opportunity to inquire what she meant by that.

She and Weiss took turns freshening up before JNPR arrived, and once Ruby and Yang came back with the food and drinks they began setting everything up. They cleared off the desk and table and set out the snacks and cups, Yang turned on her stereo to some lively background music and Ruby turned on the TV.

Team JNPR arrived shortly after that, and the eight friends started to chat and play games. Yang and Nora got to arm-wrestling right off the bat with Jaune and Ren observing, while Pyrrha and Ruby were rolling a ball for Zwei back and forth.

Worried and over-protective as she was, Blake didn't leave Weiss' side for the first ten minutes or so. But she realized her behavior might make Weiss uncomfortable or suspect Blake knew something was wrong.

So she caught Pyrrha's eye, knowing she would be the most perceptive and understanding about the situation.

Sure enough, without even knowing anything at all, Pyrrha understood that Blake wanted her to chat with Weiss. The red-haired huntress excused herself from her game with Ruby and made her way toward the table for a cup of water. As she neared, Blake turned to Weiss.

"I'm gonna go cool down Yang and Nora before something or someone gets broken."

Weiss dipped her head.

"Yes, please do."

Just as Blake was slipping away, Pyrrha arrived and greeted Weiss cheerfully. Blake was relieved to know she wasn't leaving Weiss by herself. The heiress always been close to Pyrrha, so Blake hoped she'd feel relaxed with her too.

She did as she'd said and went to Yang in order to ease the competition with Nora before things could get too heated and potentially dangerous. But Blake kept one ear tuned into Pyrrha's conversation with Weiss.

"Hello, Weiss! How are you fairing this evening? Thank you for inviting us over!"

"It wasn't my idea, but I'm glad for it. It's nice to see all of you outside of missions or classes."

"Indeed. Everything has been a little hectic lately." She paused and turned her clear, caring emerald eyes onto Weiss. "Forgive me for saying, but you seem rather exhausted. Is everything all right?"

"Yes."

Pyrrha didn't seem convinced by Weiss' answer but she didn't press her. Instead she tried to steer the conversation toward light-hearted topics such as amusing things Nora had done this week.

Blake let Pyrrha work her magic while she herself stayed with the others, who now decided to have a dance-off. Or mainly, Yang and Nora decided to have a dance-off, and Ruby agreed to it, so the boys obliged as well.

Blake heard Pyrrha invite Weiss to give it a try, but the heiress politely declined. So when Yang took a time-out to get a drink, Pyrrha took her place dancing and Yang ended up next to the heiress.

"Phew! Nora might suck at arm-wrestling but she's a pretty good dancer, I'll give her that!"

"I can heeeear yoooou!" Nora's indignant shout actually made Weiss chuckle a tiny bit. Yang was glad to see it and Blake was glad to hear it.

As Yang poured herself a drink she offered one to Weiss, who looked up at her skeptically.

"What is it?"

"Oh, just a lil somethin' to help you loosen up~"

"Yang-"

"Calm down, princess. It's just fruit punch."

Weiss sighed.

"I'll pass."

"You sure? All right then."

Yang stayed beside her and watched JNPR's dancing for a few minutes. When Ruby took a break for herself, she went over to Blake, keeping her voice low.

"Weiss doesn't really seem to be having much fun. What should we do?"

"I'm not sure." Blake's ears flattened. "But we should try to keep spirits high."

"You got it!" With that Ruby darted back into the middle of the room to join her friends dancing, scooping up Zwei in the process. Yang eventually made her way back in as well.

Which left Blake sauntering back over to Weiss, who had barely moved the entire evening.

"Would you like to join them?" Blake offered her hand. "Of course we'd have a bit more class when dancing, I'm sure."

Weiss looked at her upturned palm, waiting, but she didn't lift either of her hands. Instead she bowed her head, and her bangs and ponytail fell to conceal her expression.

"Blake... I'm sorry... could we call it a night? I just..."

Immediately, Blake dropped the act and gently took Weiss' hands in hers, fearing the worst. The last thing she wanted was to push Weiss to the point of tears.

"Of course we can. Of course."

With the others all across the room unaware, Blake wrapped her arm around Weiss' shoulders and pulled her close, tucking the heiress beneath her chin. Her voice lowered into a private murmur as her grip on Weiss' hand tightened.

"Can you tell me what's wrong? I want to help you, Weiss. We all do."

"I know..." Her voice was small, barely audible past the music and laughter, even to Blake's keen ears. "I know that... And I really do appreciate it, but... I just don't think I can..."

"Okay." Blake could tell Weiss was about to break down, so she hushed her. She kissed Weiss' temple and rubbed her shoulders calmly.

Blake managed to catch Yang's eye, sending a silent plea. Yang understood.

As Blake guided Weiss to the bathroom, Yang tactfully told JNPR it was time to head back to their room. Blake could hear them all saying goodbye from the other side of the bathroom door.

She stood at the sink with Weiss as the heiress cupped water in her hands and washed her face, then hid her expression into a towel. Blake kept a hand on the small of her back for support. It was torturous to know Weiss was in pain but there was nothing Blake could do for her. She just wanted to help somehow...

"Weiss... is there anything I can do? Anything at all...?" She curled her arm around the girl's shoulders and placed another kiss on her temple.

Weiss' arms feebly made their way around Blake for a small hug.

"Nothing... can be done about it now," she murmured.

Blake didn't know what to do or say. So she just led Weiss back out into the room and guided her straight to her bed. Ruby and Yang cleared the way and let Blake do whatever was necessary for Weiss' wellbeing.

Blake helped the heiress lie down, then pulled the blankets up over her. She quietly peppered small kisses across Weiss' forehead, allowing her hands to roam soothing patterns over Weiss' shoulders and stomach.

And Weiss felt terrible.

She wanted to tell Blake and the others.

She _wanted_ to.

But she just didn't think she could bear to voice her story, to make it audible, to make it real...

As her consciousness slipped away into darkness, Weiss found herself reliving it.

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 **A/N: Next chapter will explain more about Weiss' childhood friend.**

 **Please review!**


	2. New Future

**This chapter starts off with a flashback in the form of Weiss' nightmare. Liara's concept and name was created entirely by Bjorn Jeppsson!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 2. New Future

She was young.

It was ten years ago to the day.

Back then she'd ensured long hours of training, studying, and whatever else her father had planned for her.

She only had one thing to look forward to.

That chime of the doorbell.

Whenever it happened, Weiss quickly finished whatever it was she was doing at the time and rushed to answer the door.

Liara was her best friend. Her only friend once Winter went away to school. She was all Weiss had left.

Liara resembled Weiss in many ways. She was quiet and studious, yet she had the most wonderful laugh. Weiss had never known the sound of her own laughter before she'd met Liara.

When they were together they were inseparable. In some ways, Weiss was close to Liara like she was close to Winter, a bond that resembled that of sisters.

They'd studied together, trained together. They'd planned on going to Beacon together, in spite of their families' wishes. They were going to be partners, teammates, the best huntresses Remnant had ever seen...

And then one day it all shattered.

They'd been sitting at the piano together, working in perfect tandem to create a beautiful melody. Years later, Weiss realized the sound of their song and their laughter had drowned out the alarm.

They never knew there'd been a break-in until the masked people were already swarming the room.

Shouting. Cursing. Enraged. They overturned every piece of furniture, smashed every lamp, shattered every window.

The girls could only run for their lives.

Weiss did her best to keep hold of Liara's hand, squeezing her palm for dear life. But in their panic they'd tripped and Weiss let go. She could still remember the consuming terror in Liara's eyes, the same terror Weiss felt swallowing her from the inside out with every beat of her heart.

All they could do was run.

What Weiss failed to realize at the time was that this was her mansion. She knew it better than Liara did. She knew the crawl spaces, the hidden rooms, the moving bookshelves.

She had a better place to hide.

In the end that's what saved her life.

And cost Liara hers.

Weiss had been pressed back against the wall, concealed by a bookshelf, save for one tiny space that allowed her to peek through.

And she watched them drag Liara out by her hair, wailing and screaming.

She watched them put a gun to her head and demand she tell them where Weiss was.

She watched Liara bite one of their hands in defiance.

She watched them pull the trigger.

She'd been too frozen to even scream, to even breathe. She couldn't comprehend what she'd seen, not even with all the blood, the lifeless body of her best friend lying on the parlor floor.

It was only a nightmare. That's what she'd told herself.

That's what she'd been telling herself for ten years.

And so that's what it had become.

* * *

Blake, Ruby, and Yang found out about Liara after doing a little bit of research.

Blake got a few hints from Weiss, who kept mumbling in her sleep.

It was Yang who eventually pulled up an old news article from a decade ago:

 **Schnee Mansion Attacked, Young Girl Murdered**.

The three of them read it over in solemn silence. Halfway through Ruby whimpered and had to look away, hugging Yang for comfort.

"That's... that's _horrible_... Poor Weiss..."

"No wonder she's been so out of it lately," Yang murmured.

Blake finished reading and went straight to Weiss' bedside. She sat down beside her and gently brushed the back of her hand across the sleeping girl's forehead. Blake leaned down and held a small kiss to her temple. She could feel tears welling up.

"You should've said something..."

But at the same time she knew she couldn't blame Weiss for keeping quiet about something as personal and tragic as this. The anniversary of her friend's murder was today, so it was no wonder Weiss hadn't felt up for their little party, despite their good intentions.

None of them were really sure what they could do to help this, or if there was anything they _could_ do.

Weiss was always so collected and poised. Even after being together for almost a year now, she was only just beginning to show her emotions to her teammates.

But something like this must have been too great a burden for her heart to handle. She was trying to keep it quiet, trying to keep it bottled up inside, trying to suppress it and wait for the anniversary to pass.

But she'd been doing that for ten years now, and it seemed Weiss was beginning to crack. It was cause for both awe and dismay that she'd managed to keep it inside for this long.

Blake didn't think there was anything she or any of the others could do for Weiss without first making things worse. They'd have to let Weiss know they were aware of what had happened ten years ago, and that would mean bringing up the exact incident.

Doing that would only make it even fresher in Weiss' mind, make her remember every horrid detail she'd been trying so desperately to forget. But pretending they didn't know and weren't fit to help her with this might be even worse.

Blake dug her teeth into her bottom lip in frustration, though her fingers threading through Weiss' hair were still very gentle. She didn't know what she could do for her.

At the very least if Weiss was ever willing to talk about it, Blake would listen, but she wasn't even sure if that was an option. Helplessly, she looked back over to Ruby and Yang, ears flat and voice low.

"What can we do...?"

They were equally as lost. Ruby just shook her head and wiped her eyes.

"I don't know..."

Yang pulled her in again and patted her head.

"There might not be anything we _can_ do," she sighed. "This isn't really our place to interfere."

"What do you mean?" Blake hissed. "We're her teammates!"

"I know that," Yang grunted back. "But we can't force her to talk about this. Do you want her to relive all of that? What if it were you?"

The comment took Blake by surprise and she flinched.

Of course she had plenty of unpleasant memories from her past as well. None as terrible as being forced to watch her best friend be murdered, but a combination of others that might've dared to come close. Things that made her stomach churn just to briefly consider them.

She understood Yang's point though. It wasn't fair for any of them to force any of the others to relive the pain of their pasts, no matter how badly they all wanted to help.

Sometimes it was best just to let sleeping dogs lie rather than try to coax them into the house for a bone. More often than not, they'd end up biting.

Blake heaved a sigh, her eyes returning to Weiss' sleeping form.

"Then what can I do..."

She wasn't really asking Ruby or Yang as much as she was asking Weiss herself. But none of them had or gave an answer.

Blake remained by Weiss' side even after Ruby and Yang had retired quietly to their beds. They left the lamp on for Blake, who simply continued to stroke her fingers across the heiress' scarred cheek.

"I'm so sorry..." she murmured. "Of course it was the White Fang... of course it was my people who did that to her... to _you_..."

Although she'd had no part in it and not even any knowledge of the incident, Blake felt guilty for the crime. She assumed Weiss' father had gone through great lengths to keep the incident buried in the media. He'd probably paid off every journalist in town to keep things quiet so a White Fang break-in on the Schnee mansion wouldn't be floating around.

That would've been a major blow for someone like him. It would've been seen as weakness, an inability to protect his own house, his own daughter. No one seemed to know about this except for the people who had been directly involved.

He'd probably told Weiss to keep quiet about it as well. She'd probably been made to act like it had never even happened.

Blake couldn't believe she'd been teammates – and girlfriends – with Weiss for almost a year now and it had never surfaced, not even when Blake had revealed her own past ties with the White Fang.

But she couldn't blame Weiss for keeping quiet about it. After all, Blake had her skeletons too. All of them did.

After a while she pulled her legs up onto the bed, intending to lie herself down beside Weiss. But before Blake could wrap the heiress in her arms, Weiss made a small pained sound.

"Nn..."

Blake's ears flicked and honed in on the sound, and her entire body tensed. When she curled herself around Weiss she could hear the girl's labored breathing, feel her jolting in her sleep. Blake's heart hurt for her. Gingerly, she pulled Weiss into her arms and went to kiss her forehead-

"S-Stop..."

Weiss' shaking voice made Blake freeze. She'd thought the plea had been meant for her. Cautiously she eased herself back, eyes flicking in the darkness.

"Weiss?"

But when she peered down she found her girlfriend's eyes sewn shut tightly.

"N-No... don't..."

Weiss' fingers were curling unconsciously into the bedsheets and her entire body was quivering. Blake hesitated, unsure of whether or not she should touch Weiss or recoil. But she knew for certain that she at least had to wake her and free her from the nightmare.

"Weiss..." She reached out to touch her shoulder, ever so gently-

Suddenly Weiss shot up in her bed with a scream.

"No-!"

Eyes wild with terror she nearly fell back over the edge. It was only thanks to Blake's quick grip on her wrist that she didn't.

"W-Weiss! It's okay, calm down-"

"No, th-they're... they're going to hurt her-"

"Weiss, _please_." Blake clung to her wrist in desperation, terrified by the effect this was having on Weiss. It was bad enough that the nightmare was bleeding over into reality now. She couldn't let it take Weiss.

She reached out with her other hand as well, trying to touch her shoulder. But Weiss pulled herself free and stumbled out of bed.

"I-I can't... I have to go. I have to do something..."

"Weiss, stop!"

By the time Ruby and Yang woke up startled and Blake scrambled out of the bed, Weiss was already at the window. She pushed it open with the force of someone determined to stop a tragedy and stepped up onto the sill.

Despite the cries of her teammates Weiss didn't stop. With a flash of her hand she created a trail of glyphs which she used to guide herself down to the ground.

Blake was the quickest to go after her. She managed to reach the window and jump in time to use Weiss' glyphs as well before they vanished. But by the time her feet hit solid ground Weiss was already gone. Heart in her throat, Blake shouted for her.

"Weiss! Weiss, come back!"

By now Ruby and Yang had huddled at the window, tired and scared.

"Wh-What's going on?"

"Where is she going?"

Blake turned back to them and shook her head.

"She's reliving it. She thinks it's happening now and that she can still save her friend. We have to find her before she gets hurt-"

Blake choked on the word and closed her eyes, focusing her keener senses on the night around them. Past the screeching of crickets it was difficult to hear much else.

But it wasn't her ears that gave her the hint this time.

A tangy scent hit her nose, and when she reopened her eyes she glanced down at the grass to find it red. It wasn't a lot but there were specks of blood, indication Weiss had likely cut herself on the window in her haste.

Blake shuddered at the idea that these nightmares had such a strong grip on Weiss' mind that they could make her do things that could physically harm her.

It was the only clue she had as to which direction Weiss had gone. So as Ruby and Yang scrambled to get outside by using the stairs, Blake wasted no time in taking off into the shadows.

. . .

Weiss didn't know where she was going. But she knew _why_.

She had to find Liara.

Because she had to save her.

Because she knew what was going to happen to her if she didn't.

Those masked people would come again. They'd grab her and drag her by the hair and then shoot her in the head.

Weiss can still – no – _already_ hear Liara's screams of defiance, her grunts of effort to free herself.

Then the blast and then...

Nothing. Nothing at all.

Weiss had to find her no matter what.

She used her glyphs to propel herself through the forests with that one goal in mind. Her heart was pounding throughout her entire body, slamming in time with her footsteps and shaking her to the core.

 _I have to find her... or else she'll..._

And she wasn't exactly sure when it was that reality came back to her. But by the time she burst out of the trees she was back in her conscious state of mind.

And she knew.

She knew she couldn't save Liara. She knew it was ten years too late.

Her glyphs vanished as she found herself on the cliff freshman students began their first mission at Beacon on. With her energy depleted and glyphs gone, there was nowhere to go from here other than a steep, painful incline.

She didn't move, didn't even breathe. Her eyes simply stared out over the darkened forests, out across the blackened sky. There weren't many stars, and the moon was clouded over.

A sudden violent shiver shot up her spine and she took a step back. Her arms came up to clutch at herself, head bowing heavily as the tears began to fall. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard a voice calling out for her. It was small, distant, scared...

"Weiss... Weiss-!"

Images of Liara flashed through Weiss' mind. The times they'd played together, how they'd planned to come to Beacon together and be teammates, how they'd wanted to help change the world one step at a time...

And then her screams of defiance cut short by a single, deafening, unforgiving pull of the trigger.

Weiss was still unable to comprehend it to this day. How one moment Liara had been there on the other side of that bookshelf. How she'd been kicking and screaming and fighting for her life.

And in only a single second, eight years' worth of friendship, ambition, and life had simply _ended_...

Somewhere in the cold darkness of the night, that voice calling her name got a little louder. And louder.

Until-

"Weiss!"

It wasn't Liara anymore.

It was Blake.

 _Blake_.

Who had raced after her and skidded to a precarious halt right beside her, gripping Weiss' wrist with all her might and tugging her back away from the cliff-face. The strength in her grip alone outmatched all the strength left in Weiss' whole body, and the heiress collapsed to her knees.

And she cried. She cried harder than she'd ever cried before, weeping bitterly as harsh hiccups ripped through her chest.

Even at Liara's funeral she'd tried to suppress herself. And then for ten years afterward as well.

And now it was all coming free and she couldn't stop it.

But Blake wasn't asking her to.

She was still breathless from her sprint through the woods to find Weiss, and finding her at the edge of the cliff had scared her more than anything ever had. Blake was still shaking as she wrapped her arms tightly around the heiress, refusing to ever let go again.

"Weiss... thank goodness..." Her voice spilled out in whimpers as she pressed herself close. Weiss trembled and wept in her arms, fingers curling limply into Blake's clothes for purchase.

"Blake... it's... it's all my fault-"

"Don't say that." Blake knew how the guilt could consume someone all too well, and she wasn't about to let it swallow Weiss after all this time of trying to drown her. "Weiss, that's not true. It's not."

"But it is..." She choked on a sob, hiding herself in the side of Blake's neck miserably. "They wanted me... she wouldn't give me up... if I had just-"

"Weiss, please don't... _please_ don't say that." Blake squeezed her tighter, defiant. "If you'd gone then... then you wouldn't be here now..."

It pained her just to say it. And judging by the way Weiss jolted in her arms, it pained her to hear it said.

"But... then at least Liara would be here..."

"And she would be as torn as you are," Blake countered gently. "Would you want to see her like this? Do you think she'd want to see _you_ like this?"

"It doesn't matter. She'd be _alive_..."

Weiss grew silent again after that, lost to the tears once more.

Blake bit her lip, ears flat as she blinked away her own tears. She had no response for that. She knew exactly what that felt like, and she wasn't about to tell Weiss everything was simply going to be all right with Liara gone.

It might've only been more painful, but the truth was all Blake had to give her now.

"Weiss... you can't change what happened. All you can do now is just... live on. Live _for_ her, like she would've wanted... Sometimes that just has to be enough."

Blake buried her face into Weiss' shoulder and sighed, though her grip never loosened.

Weiss sobbed harder against her chest, shivering from the cold and the grief alike.

But in spite of it all, she knew Blake was right. This was how things were now. She'd only been a child at the time of the attack. Weiss couldn't blame herself for her inaction then. Had she acted, they probably would've killed her and Liara anyway. And as painful as it was to be the survivor, to come out alive when Liara's life was taken...

Weiss wouldn't trade her life for anything now. Her friends, her school, her teammates...

All of the things she had had only been made possible because of Liara. Because Liara had refused to give her up back then. Liara had _given_ this life to Weiss.

So Weiss was going to live it. She was going to live through the pain and the anguish, as well as the better times. All of it was her life now, the gift Liara had given her in turn. In a sense, it was Liara's life now, too.

Eventually, everything took its toll on Weiss, and her conscious slipped away. Blake felt her go limp and carefully gathered Weiss into her lap. She wiped the tears away and peppered small kisses onto her cheeks instead.

Ruby and Yang got to them a few minutes later, weak with relief. Yang bent down to take Weiss and cradled her in her arms for the walk back to the building. Ruby helped Blake up and supported her along the way.

When they finally got back to their room, Yang laid Weiss down onto Blake's bed as per the Faunus girl's request. Blake hugged both sisters, thanked them, and then they all went back to their beds to try and get some sleep.

Now that the hectic events of the evening were behind them, Blake settled slowly into her bed, curling herself around Weiss, pulling the heiress in to her chest protectively. She let out a long breath and closed her eyes, but failed to fall asleep just yet.

In retrospect she was glad for that, because she felt Weiss stirring not long afterward. Blake eased herself back as Weiss made a small sound in the back of her throat. Slowly, the heiress opened her tired eyes, her voice nothing more than a rasp.

"Blake... I'm-"

But, sensing an unnecessary apology, Blake quieted her by bumping their noses together softly.

"It's all right."

"B-Blake-"

"Shh..."

As Weiss started to sniffle again, Blake pulled her close. Weiss wrapped both arms around her and clung to her back, and in turn Blake stroked slowly through her girlfriend's hair. She waited until Weiss' breathing had eased before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

She was relieved and happy when she felt Weiss plant a timid kiss on her lips. Blake let out a small purr and kissed back.

They didn't say anything else, but merely kissed each other to sleep after that, cuddled up close and warm and safe.

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 **A/N: I hope this was satisfactory for what the patron asked for! There will be a very brief epilogue!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Epilogue - Moving Forward

**Wouldn't be complete without some closure.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Epilogue. Moving Forward

Weeks later on a long weekend, Blake, Ruby and Yang went with Weiss back to Atlas. They arrived at a quiet cemetery where the wind danced across the headstones and fluttered the petals of the flowers planted all around.

Each of them held a few flowers in-hand as they followed Weiss down the little paths among the graves, taking in the profound tranquility of the resting place.

At last, Weiss paused in front of a silver marble headstone, engraved with Liara's name and a message:

 _Beloved daughter, future huntress, cherished friend_.

They all watched Weiss as she stood there, shoulders trembling, lips quivering. She tried to speak, but no words came forth. So Blake reached out to take her hand and eased her back a step. Ruby and Yang went first instead.

"Hi there," Ruby said with a smile. "I know I never knew you, but I'm sure we would've been friends! Thanks for being Weiss' friend when I didn't know her yet." With that, she knelt down and placed her flower at the base of the headstone.

Next, Yang took her turn.

"Hey. Like my sister said, I wish I could've met you. Thanks again for being there for Weiss when no one else could." She placed her flower down as well and took a step back.

Blake nuzzled Weiss' cheek before stepping up toward the grave.

"Hi, Liara. I'm sorry I never got to meet you either. But it's because of you that we got to meet Weiss. It's because of you that I got to fall in love with her. So... from the bottom of my heart... thank you."

She knelt down and laid her flower beside Ruby's and Yang's. After she straightened up again, Blake went to her girlfriend's side and kissed her cheek sweetly.

At long last, Weiss took a step toward her childhood friend's grave. Quietly she dropped to her knees, laid down her own white flower, and settled, closing her eyes to send out silent thoughts and prayers. Blake Ruby and Yang all stood behind her, waiting.

When Weiss was finally finished, Blake offered her hand and helped her up, then kissed her again. Weiss thanked her, squeezing Blake's hand warmly. She turned back to Liara's grave one last time, this time with a smile.

"Goodbye, Liara. I'll be back in a few months for your eighteenth birthday. Rest well."

With that, the four girls turned away and headed back down the little path.

Behind them, the four flowers they'd left on the grave fluttered quietly in the wind.

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 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Thanks again to Bjorn Jeppsson for their support and request!**

 **Please review!**


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